England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Yarburgh St John the Baptist

The Parish

The parish of Yarburgh lies in eastern Lincolnshire not too far away from its North Sea Coast. Yarburgh is located about 5 miles northeast of the market town of Louth. Yarburgh is a small and compact village built largely around a "T" junction of lanes and lying in Lincolnshire's coastal lowlands. Yarburgh sits about 2 miles east of the A16 road which connects Louth with the port of Grimsby. The area today consists of large fields of waving cereal but at the time of this transcript a more pastoral regime would have predominated on the heavy clay soils. The drainage of the parish is largely affected by the hand of man, indeed the Louth Canal cuts through the eastern portion of the parish severing former channels, those would have headed northeast to reach the North Sea a few miles away through Grainthorpe Haven. Yarburgh is sited at just 10 metres above sea level and much of the parish is at or just above sea level. Lincolnshire parishes are often quite small and Yarburgh was fairly typically sized for the area, it covered almost 1,300 acres and would have supported a population of just over 200 parishioners. In Domesday times Yarburgh was held directly by King William, himself, its assets were not specifically detailed.

The Church

St John the Baptist's church lies to the east of the main lane running through the village in the crook between that lane and the arm of the "T" junction. The church is no longer used for worship but is preserved by the Redundant Churches Fund and is available to be visited. Documentary evidence is available that indicates the present church was built in 1405 to replace one subject to a fire. The building is obviously in the Perpendicular style of that date and consists of the standard nave, chancel and western tower, it had been augmented by northern and southern aisles but the latter was removed in 1777. As is customary the Victorians made their usual restoration and the roof and chancel were most impacted, the former replaced and the latter almost entirely rebuilt, this is dated to the mid 1850s. The church sits back behind properties and is accessed by footpath from the main line just to the south of the junction where a footpath is signed and a welcoming white board usually indicates the church is open. The path runs for some 100 yards or so before you enter the churchyard which is relatively free from photographic obstructions.